This article describes the political context of health and social care services in Northern Ireland at a time of intense social conflict.
Method
Concepts from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other relevant international psychological literature are then used to study the experience of the Bloody Sunday families, victims of a traumatic event that happened in Derry in January 1972.
Results
High levels of psychological morbidity within this population are reported, alongside some evidence that families had not received services that may have helped resolve the trauma.
Conclusions
The authors noted that new services planned as a result of the current peace process may offer social workers and other professionals new ways to address the unmet needs of people traumatized by the Troubles.
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